Keeping in the family
by TheRealSnowWhite
Summary: My name is Emily Turner. I'm 15 and live in Portsmouth England. After finding a creepy old chest in my loft and almost DROWNING I come face to face with my family's past. So what happens when you mix a sarky shop obessive teenager with the Flying Dutchman
1. Chapter 1: Family tree

**erm hi i know its not what most people will want from me lol but ive seen it twice this week (once at my mums and once with my dad) so ive got fanfictions on the brain lol**

* * *

"….and here's a picture of my great grandmother Carrie. She was married to a sailor too."

I struggled to hold back a yawn.

It was 'family history' week at my school so we had to write a project on our family history. I'd asked my mother five hours ago about our family.

She hadn't shut up. And it was _dull _history. Everyone else in my class was like, Polish or Chinese or African or French or something else.

My family seemed to have always lived in Portsmouth and been sailors.

Dullsville or what.

My mother was proud of this.

I was trying to hide this.

"Hmmm what's this? Oh yes our family tree. My father had this done when I was a little girl." My mum flung out the family tree. It was BIG. Mum traced her finger along it and tapped her finger.

"That's me. Anne-Marie Turner. I was only three so I'm just a little leaf. And here's your seven uncles….."

I didn't need it pointing out. I'm fifteen. Hardly stupid. I didn't even see the need to do this project, as I was leaving the day after it was due in for a trip to France with the school. But I knew the teachers would be 'Emily Turner have you no family? Because otherwise you should have done your work!'

Yeah my mum kept her name when she got married to my dad and made him change his name.

The one interesting thing she's ever done.

"Now you should do your project on this man!" My mother held up the family tree and pointed near the top. I peered at the old fashioned writing.

"William Turner II? Who was he, another sailor? Did he make it to I don't know, Admiral or something?" I sneered, flicking the tree disdainfully.

"Don't do that!" Snapped my mother, smoothing the paper. "No he was a sailor but there is great mystery around him and scandal within the family."

"Scandal? What, he was a sailor then ran away to be a police man?"

"No! he was a pirate and so was his father so I'm told."

That has to be the most interesting thing this family has done in like, 200 years.

"A pirate? A real yarrr Jim lad pieces of eight parrot on shoulder gold earring wearing pirate?"

"Yes Emily. His father was murdered by the crew of the ship he was on for instance over gold or something it's all very muddled. But it's the son that's interesting one."

Murdered for gold.

Cool.

And he's not the interesting one.

**WOW**!

"Yes so anyway, this son had been a blacksmith before turning pirate. But he suddenly disappeared."

He _disappeared_.

That's just a polite way of saying he drowned.

That is boring.

"He drowned or something?"

"Well that's the thing. No one knows. It says gone to the locker here but the thing is he would suddenly turn up on records every ten years or so! But after his wife died they stopped for a while before his name started randomly turning up again! The last time it did was when you were five. It's a family joke. It's why we never name anyone William so if we get calls about a 'William Turner' we can just go 'Oh that's just our ancestor he likes to turn up every now and again!'"

Seriously, this is how my family go for entertainment.

"Mum, there's gotta be more than one Turner family in the entire world."

"Huh. You just haven't got any romance in your soul Emily."

Yeah.

Cos that's the problem.

"If you wanna have a look his old sea chest's up in the loft. It's a family heirloom."

"Mum that's like _gross. _It could have like 200 year old dirty laundry in there!"

"Oh stop moaning and just go look at it. You can take it to school if you want."

* * *

I dug it out from a pile of old sea junk in the loft. A great big dust pile flew out and covered me.

Great.

I coughed wildly and due to not being able to see crashed into everything. It all fell down with a giant crash. My mother screeched up to me. I flicked a v at the loft hatch, wiped my face and eyes and pulled out the chest.

It was old and creepy looking. Contorted faces leered out of me and I got the most awful bad-gut feeling about it.

I tried to open it. Surprise, surprise it was locked.

"Mum are there any keys for the old sea chest?" I yelled down.

"That thing's never been opened and to what I know, there's never been a key." She yelled back.

Great.

No key.

I pulled out my lightning bolt hair clip. When my mum took away my Halloween sweets when I was five after they made me puke I learnt how to pick locks.

I twiddled the clip in the lock and suddenly heard a noise from it. I stopped twiddling.

A kinda dull beating noise.

Like……..I don't wanna think it………..but a _heart._

Highly creepy.

But I wanna find out what's in here.

The lock finally gave out and I swung open the chest.

I slammed the lid down almost instantly, my face green, my stomach churning.

It was a heart in there.

A real, life human heart.

I'm highly squeamish.

But that is just too sickening and sinister for anyone!

Its highly ewwww.

I took one look then turned and shut the lid. Just seeing it there, all red and bloody, beating away….

Note to self: Gotta bring it in to show everyone.

* * *

"….stop it Em. There's no way an actual human heart was in that crappy old box you brought in." My best friend Georgia and I were on the deck of the ferry to France, looking into the English channel. Since I'd found that……_thing _I hadn't shut up about it.

Would you easily forget a real human organ in an old box in your loft?

Didn't think so.

Shame no one else believed me.

"It was! You know me, do I lie?"

"No… but then I listen to my BRAIN which tells me that a heart can't like live outside a human body shut up in a two hundred year old box." I turned away in disgust and walked down the deck.

Suddenly I trod in a massive slippery pool of water as the boat lurched severely.

I was thrown overboard.

I heard Georgia scream and felt my bag almost try to fly off my back. I landed with my coat flying around me, legs straight into the freezing water. I went under the water straight away before I broke the surface, screaming wildly.

I trod water desperately, but I can't swim. Shock horror for a child of the navy, I know but I didn't like the sea.

The iron grey water kept re-covering my head and I found that breaking the surface was getting harder and harder….

I took one final breath, sucking the air in until my lungs felt they would burst before the waves broke over my head again.

My throat burned and I felt myself get dragged down by the heavy weight of my sodden clothes. The sea was pitch black around me but I think that was just my vision. My lungs were aching now, burning, dying, desperate for a breath.

_Go on……just one breath _nagged a little voice at the back of my head. I struggled to get my coat off. Then I could breathe again.

_Take a breath…….one won't hurt _nagged the voice again. I breathed out, my world full of bubbles.

_Breathe and everything will be alright….._against my better nature I breathed in.

I breathed in lungs full of dirty water, my vision clouding.

My head fell on my shoulder and I stopped struggling.

Suddenly, I was on the deck of a wooden ship, spluttering and sucking in air on my hands and knees. I couldn't breathe properly, choking and coughing on every precious breath. I spat up a load of water, it falling all down my front and on my hands. My vision was clearing and I blinked away sea water from my eyes. I could see a lot of legs around me. Men I think.

Hands grabbed my shoulders and forced me to look up at something. I couldn't see what, water was streaming from my hair into my eyes.

"Do you feel death? Asked a voice.

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**okay you know the drill...**

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	2. Chapter 2: This can't be real!

**Okay clever clogs! You got me! I cannot understand Bill Nighy's Scottish accent so I put the wrong word. But now I've like integrated it into the story lol!**

**I have much luff for all reviewers! ( MoonlitInuko, lucie, Katatsubasa-no-Tenshi, BroadwayBabe32, Elwyndra, Kayley Taylor, latafmodginkianp1618, aradonai, u dont know mi, McLoveable, Holly EverGreen and AveoStar. If I have spelt your names wrong feel free to send me hate vibes!)**

**Erm…so I'll get on with it then! **

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"Do you feel death?" The voice asked. Now, as I was soaked, cold and half drowned I was not in the most agreeable of moods.

"I don't know what does death feel like?" I snapped, trying to pull my head away but the hands just gripped onto my hair and pulled. I gasped and started trying to pull their fingers free.

"Erm……no. I asked do you FEAR death actually." The voice sounded rather (metaphorically speaking unlike myself) _wet _to be honest. It was an English guy and he was obviously important.

Shame he didn't sound it.

Lol.

"So, do you fear death?"

"Wow…..tuffie."

"Excuse me?"

"Tuffie as in a tough question. It's not the sort of thing you get asked everyday." I was off on one. In one of my sarky moods. Considering the circumstances it probably wasn't the best option. But I continued. "So can I ask the audience or do I get 50-50?"

Emily stop now.

"And how much is this question worth? £2000 0r £32000?"

EMILY THIS IS YOUR BRAIN SPEAKING. SHUT UP NOW.

"This question is worth your life."

O-kay. Maybe I should have shut up.

"But seeing as you cannot make up your mind," The voice continued, "I think a spell in the brig will make things much clearer." The men behind me pulled me up, clamping hard on my arms. I still couldn't see properly, just a hazy mist where this guy was talking. I hung limply in the sailors' arms as they dragged me into the dark opening in the deck.

* * *

"Let me out. Let me out. Let me out. Let me out. Let me out. Let me out!" I chanted banging my head against the bars.

I'd been shut in here for ages. I wasn't sure of the exact amount as my watch had stopped working after my near death experience. I could see now at least, but that wasn't much good. All I could see was that the ship was big and made from wood. The sailors had decided to ignore me after I hadn't shut up. I'd asked for a towel but to no avail. I was still soaking wet and shivering.

I fell back, bored out my brains and lay on the wooden floor.

Gah.

So this is what eternity feels like I guess.

I hope mum brought her mobile to work or they won't get her to tell her of my disappearance.

Mobile?

MOBILE!

I jumped up and dived on my bag. My mobile! I could phone mum!

I found the phone. I tried to turn it on but it wasn't working.

I opened the back and poured out like, a litre of water.

Great.

I pulled out the battery and stuck it in my armpit. They do that on all those survival shows. Maybe it'd dry out.

But what could I tell her? _'Oh help mum I've been kidnapped by these dudes on a wooden ship_.'

Because that's believable.

I started pulling things out of my bag to try and dry them. School books…..lay them out flat, hope they're not completely ruined. My packed lunch…..I opened the box and almost gagged from the smell of sea water. Not edible. I threw the box to the corner of my cell in disgust. Magazines…..great, my collectors' edition of the NME that I'd just bought was ruined. And my copy of Sugar. I lay them out with my school books, hoping they'd dry. My iPod……huzzah! It's not saturated! I popped in an ear phone and to my delight heard Scissor Sister's _Kissing you off. _

At least I have music. I won't go nuts now.

* * *

"Can you please be quiet? You're disturbing the crew!" A man in a bandana-y thing had suddenly come down to the brig.

He seemed mad.

I was singing very loudly to O-Zone, Dragostea Din Tei. Y'know, that song that goes Ma-aya-hee, Ma-aya-hoo, Ma-aya-hoh, Ma-aya-ha-ha…..lol. I love it. But I don't think these guys do.

"Key-pull tehw she  
dra-go-stya din tay  
mya-min-tesk de o-key tay!" I sang, my face in-between the bars.

The guy came really close now. He had long, dark hair and a lickle beard. He was wearing really old fashioned clothes, the sort you see in those old pirate films they show on channel five on Sunday evenings.

That's rather freaky.

Freakier was the fact he looked just like all my uncles like, put together.

Weird.

"Can you please shut up?" He asked again.

"What's the magic word?"

"Now?" He pulled out an old fashioned pistol and pointed it at me. I screamed and slunk back as far as possible from the bars.

"Thank you!" He put it away and turned and walked back up the stairs. I was shaking (you would be too if you'd just had a gun pointed at your head!) but angry.

That's not the way to treat prisoners. Isn't there the Geneva Convention?

I ran to the bars and screamed up at him. "OI! Fancy pants! I want to see the guy who's in charge here! I'm sure treating prisoners like that is illegal!" I shook the bars a bit too. The guy came running back down.

"Good! Glad to see things shaping up here! Now take me to the guy in charge!"

"The captain?"

"Yes, that's the one. I want to complain about my unfair treatment."

"Well, isn't it lucky that you're talking to the captain right now?"

My mouth dropped.

Oopsie.

I have dropped myself in it now.

He just stood there, arms folded across his chest. I had no idea what to say.

"So what's your complaint then Miss--?"

"Why should I tell you my name?"

"It's a common courtesy."

"Not were I come from."

"Just say it. Believe it or not, I like to treat prisoners kindly." He was smiling as he said this. I scowled at him but if I'm going to be locked up here might as well comply eh?

"My name is Emily Susie-Mae Turner. And before you ask anything I wanna know what the deal is with this ship? It's freaking me out!"

The captain's eyes had gone very wide as I said my name.

"Did you say 'Turner'?"

"Yah. Tis my name."

"What's your father's name?"

"What? It's Bob Hastings." This is weird. This guy is looking at me like he recognises me but doesn't know quite who I am. And so what if my last name is Turner?? It's just a name!!

"And your mother's name?" He asked, his face close to the bars.

"Anne-Marie Turner. And why? It's just our name. It's not important."

"Do you have anyone in your family named Elizabeth? Or Will?" He asked insistent.

"Man, I don't know! No one in our like immediate family I don't think." He looked unhappy for a second then walked back up the stairs again.

Then I remembered that weird ancestor mum had told me about last week.

"Hang on wait a minute! I do, I just remembered!" He pelted back down again.

"You do?"

"Yeah my mum showed us the family tree last week. There was three guys on there called William."

"Were they all father and son?"

"Yup."

Suddenly, he shouted down someone else to unlock the cell. The door was thrown open.

"Follow me!"

"What? Why?"

"Just follow me!" He grabbed my arm and dragged me along. His hand was digging in rather and it hurt but I didn't say anything. I was too busy trying to keep up with his strides! I didn't even notice where we were going.

"Will my stuff be alright down in that cell?" I panted. He nodded.

Wow…..such a great talker.

But I don't see what the deal is.

So what if three people in my family over 200 years ago were all called William Turner?

Anyways, this captain dude (He knows the names of people in my family and myself but I don't even know his) dragged me to the big bit that is like the captain's office. It was big, dark and smelt really rank, like old seaweed. A massive portrait of a young woman was on one wall. The captain dude looked through some old boxes but I stood at the bottom of the portrait. She was dressed in dead old fashioned stuff and was really quite pretty.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" I spun round to see the captain guy looking up to the portrait his eyes shining. He had a scroll of paper under one arm.

"Wha? Oh yeah. All the lads at school would think she's fit as." He looked a little confused at the phrase. He's in his twenties I reckon, he should know what it means.

"Yeah, she's erm beautiful." I echoed what he'd said. He nodded, happy with what I'd said and flung out the scroll of paper on the table.

It was a family tree. A big family tree. A very familiar looking family tree. I peered at and realised it was _**my **_family tree.

"Look! There's your mother." The captain pointed to a leaf right at the bottom. Where I knew it was.

"Yeah I know that….look what has my family got to do with you?"

"My name is Will Turner."

"Annnnnnd? There must be a million families out there called Turner. It doesn't you're the same family as me."

"See this one?" He tapped the family tree. The leaf that represented the family 'joke' (BAD joke more like) William Turner II.

"Yeah. And?

"That's me. I'm Will Turner. Your ancestor."

Pull the other one mate.

It's got bells on.

My expression must have given away what I was thinking as he said next "You don't believe me do you?"

To which I replied "Of course not. That guy has been dead for what 250 years? Show me some proof!"

"I….in your house is there an old box?" I nodded.

"With something in it that the family don't talk about?"

"There's Grandma Carrie's jewellery box……no…."

He was talking about _that box. _

Ew……

"That box……it's got that _thing _in it….is that yours?"

He nodded.

I felt so sick.

Ew.

His heart... the guy stood right in front of me, his heart was in a box in my loft.

I walked backwards, hand over my mouth, trying desperately not to puke all over the floor.

Gah!

I carried on walking away from him. This was sick.

I walked straight into a wooden beam.

I heard my skull crack and I fell forward onto the floor.

I saw this great x63 grandfather run forward as my vision was clouding for the second time today.

Then everything went black.

* * *

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**I know it's not as good as the first one**

**But I'll probably rewrite it if you all think it's crappy**


	3. Chapter 3: Ikea and Mardy bum

"Ow. Ow. OW!"

"Keep STILL then."

Reacp: I almost drowned. Find freaky relative on old ship. Smacked my head on a wooden beam. And now, I was having my head sewn up as I'd got this massive great big gash at the back.

Note to self: NEVER go to a hospital run by a pirate doctor who should by all rights be dead.

No anaesthetic, no antiseptic.

Just one great muthafucking needle at the back of my head.

And he kept sewing the wrong bits as I kept squirming in pain. This led to more pain and more squirming. Evil circle of pain and thread.

This doctor grabbed my head in one and pushed it down. I flinched as he carried on sewing.

"This will take a while. This is a pretty big cut."

Oh gee, thanks. I'll just sit here will I?

I pulled out my iPod and put it in.

Music will distract me.

Ahhh, Artic Monkeys _Mardy Bum_!

"_Now then mardy bum, I see your frown, it's like looking down the barrel of a gun, and it goes off….." _I sung.

I be happy now.

Lol.

"_And out comes all these words, oh there's a very pleasant side to you, a side I much prefer…._" The doctor/torturer chuckled behind me.

"That's a good song that. True an all!"

The Artic Monkeys: As recommended by guys born in the 18th century.

"_It's one that laughs and jokes around, Remember cuddles in the kitchen, Yeah, to get things off the ground, And it was up, up and away, Oh, but it's right hard to remember, That on a day like today when you're all… argumentative, And you've got the face on…._" I didn't even notice the stitching now, too busy singing to a captivated (I wish!) audience.

"Emily, are you alright?" Oh god. Freaky ancient relative alert! Will came through but I decided to carry on singing.

"_Well now then mardy Bum, Oh I'm in trouble again, aren't I?, I thought as much, Cause you turned over there, Pulling that silent disappointment face, The one that I can't bear…_.."

"_What? _No….you're not in trouble….and I don't think I'm pulling a face am I….what?"

HAHA. Let you be the unhappy confused one!

"_Can't we laugh and joke around, Remember cuddles in the kitchen, Yeah, to get things off the ground, And it was up, up and away, Oh, but it's right hard to remember, That on a day like today when you're all argumentative, And you've got the face on…_…"

"She's singing captain. A right good song. Who were it by again?"

"Artic Monkeys mate. _Yeah I'm sorry I was late, Well I missed the train, And then the traffic was a state, And I can't be arsed to carry on in this debate, That reoccurs, oh when you say I don't care, Well of course I do, yeah I clearly do_!"

"Oh! Well, I just wanted to know if your head was alright."

"_So laugh and joke around, Remember cuddles in the kitchen, Yeah, to get things off the ground, And it was up, up and away, Still it's right hard to remember, That on a day like today when you're all argumentative, And you've got the face on……_yeah I'm alright. Apart from my head being sewn shut and my greta great great geat great….I'll just call you uncle cos I can't be arsed to go through all the 'greats'. Anyways, my meant to be dead ancestor stood right in front of me. Other than that I'm a-okay." I gave the mega cheesy Darkness a-okay thumbs up. Uncle Will as he is know to be known looked confused then returned the thumbs up. I rolled my eyes and started flicking through the songs in my iPod.

"You've been moved to the quarters next to mine. Only suitable opion for a relation of the captain. When you're settled come find me. We should talk." He left.

Eugh.

A talk.

I hate them.

Ooo.

_Bad boy _is on now.

"_Be my bad boy, be my man, Be my week-end lover, But don't be my friend, You can be my bad boy, But understand, That I don't need you in my life again…."_

"All done. Off you run now." I hopped off the bench as the doctor gave me a slap on my arse. I swung round to him grinning.

"Excuse me but you don't get to touch me ever. I'll get Will on you!" I screamed. He had no right to do that!

"I'm sorry miss…."

"Yeah well….you better be!" Old chauvinist pig! HAHA. At least my relative is in charge and get him done for that.

Lol!

* * *

My cabin was disgusting. It was one room with a mouldy looking bed, a dressing table with filthy mirror and a dingy looking Chinese screen. 

Great.

I sat on the bed and jumped up again squealing. It was all squishy and mouldy and festering! Note to self: Get Uncle Will to buy me new bedding from Ikea. It smelt gross too, like seaweed and dead fish. No way would I be sleeping in that! My bag had been put in here. I pulled out my school books and put them in a drawer in the dresser, along with my NME and Sugar. Hmmm. Any good posters in Sugar to brighten up my walls? Nothing that special really, just Chris from Hollyoaks and Harry McFly. Ah well. They'll make it look somewhat better. What will I stick them up with? After rooting around, I found some old nails in the corner. Now that's better! 1 percent there to making my cabin look normal!

I put my still damp mobile on top of the dresser and pulled out the very warm battery from my armpit. I put the battery in and hoped for the best.

I found to my horror that my ruined lunch had been put back in my bag. I threw it promptly out the door, after finding a packet of chuddy in there. It wasn't opened, so the sea water had got to it. I immediately started chewing. Things to 2 percent better now.

I hung my damp coat on the back of the door. I realised then that my clothes must be ruined. I hadn't even thought about what I must look like!

Gah!

I must look like some kind of sea monster!

I ran to the mirror then realised I couldn't see anything in it. It was almost black, there was so much dirt on it. I rubbed at it furiously. Then I drew a "). Then I scrubbed at it again. Finally, I could see myself.

And boy, did I hate the reflection!

My normally perfectly straight blonde hair was all kinked, mussed up and had a slight film of goo. My face was filthy with little streaks where I'd cried in pain. My makeup had run all the way down my face and I had the worst case of panda eyes EVER. I'd lost one of my blue contact lenses - highly grr they'd cost the earth! My clothes were disgusting, all wet and covered in sea sludge.

Wonderful.

I look like I haven't washed in weeks.

And I have no change of clothes.

Gah!

I started stomping the floor. I then threw myself on the bed, not caring how disgusting it was.

Then there was a knock at the door.

"Come in but beware the case of a girl needing a makeover." I covered my face with my hands, not even wanting these people who had obviously never had bath in their lives to see how dirty I looked.

"I thought you might want these Emily." It was Will. I sat up and he was holding out an old box to me.

"What is it?" I asked nervously - believe me I've had enough of freaky ass old boxes.

"Just some things." He insisted, holding out the box more. I took it gingerly (I mean, come on, am I gonna trust boxes from this family anymore??)

It was this old silver toiletries set, probably worth like thousands. There was one of those old fashioned hair brushes with horse hair bristles, a silver hand mirror, a power compact, some empty perfume bottles, scissors, more combs and stuff…..just about everything and anything a woman could ever want or need.

Wow.

"Oh WOW this is so coool where'd ya get it from?" I enthused, pulling the hand mirror out straight away and checking my reflection.

"It was my wife's."

Oh.

I have put my foot in it.

Just be quiet and ignore the sudden development of tension, not like there wasn't any in the first place.

"She left it behind and never got to collect it. I thought you might need it. Is there anything else you need to have?"

Ohmigod so badly want to go 'awh' and like _hug _him or something he sounded so depressed when he said that but…..urge……to….shop…..too…..**strong**……

"Right first thing's first, I need a bath something dreadful cos I am filthy. I need new sheets…no scrap that, new furniture for this room entirely cos it's minging! And then new sheets, we should go to Ikea for those. Then I need clothes and shoes and makeup and jewellery and a hair band and something like solar powered to charge my mobile and iPod up. Oh and one of them fluffy round white rugs what are they called? What are they called? Oh yeah love rugs that's it. And some more chuddy. And some soap and face masks and stuff. And more contact lenses cos I've lost my left one. And some food like a pot noodle!" I'd only just realised that I was starving.

I'd been rambling on and just come to see Will's face. He looked so bewildered. I guess he didn't know what half the stuff I was going on about actually was. I gave a little smile.

"That okay? If you don't know the stuff is I can always just go and get it myself but I'll need help at Ikea."

"Ikea?"

"It's this big Swedish shop that rocks my world. They have like, the coolest stuff in there!"

"Why would you want cold furniture?"

What? _Cold_? Oh. He doesn't know what cool means.

"Not cool as in like cold, but cool as in that's in fashion, it's interesting, it's in style."

"Oh. I see. It's strange, times have changed yet women haven't."

"yeah….." I nodded.

Hang on.

That's not a good thing is it?

:s

* * *

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	4. Chapter 4: Stories to be shared

I've been on this ship for four days.

God am I bored!

All day long I have to be holed up in my cabin or I go out on the deck and try to talk to the crew. This did not always work. They would either look at me and laugh, ignore me because I was related to their captain or a few would actually talk to me. Even if they didn't understand half the stuff I was talking about half the time, they were really nice. I had some favourites already. There was Henry, who was around twenty and had lots of red hair. He was always making jokes and stuff. Also, there was George who had one leg and a crutch. He was rather sarcastic but nice to talk to.

These were the only people talking to me on the ship, hem hem. Ever since letting me use his wife's toiletries set he had not talked to me since.

Tension city!

I had no idea you could even buy tension-with-a-million-times-great-grandad-who-is-meant-to-be-dead at Tension-R-Us.

The only time I'd attempted to talk to him a few times, each time me screaming at him in a very Tom McFly eske manner, "I want some food!" Each time he looked at me like I'd sprouted three heads. Then he'd gesture to one of the other sailors, who took me to my cabin and brought me some food.

Disgusting food at that. It was all salt-pork, and ship's biscuit and things you learn about in history. I would kill for a kebab, a alpen bar or even a plain old apple!

I hadn't got any further on clothes/furniture front. We had not stopped at any ports. We were sailing further in erm…..some direction. I have no idea which. Will did organise a bath for me though. I felt a lot better now. Basically, the crew would drag a lot of water on board, heat it up in the kitchen and it would be brought to my cabin in a giant tin bath. It took forever…..but I have to be clean don't I? I have to wash my hair every other day or it goes manky….besides, they're the crew. They're like below me on social status.

Anywho….

I am missing so much stuff. At first, I thought this would be really cool! Y'know admittedly dead relatives are creepy but I thought a sea trip away from my mother and my home would be a good thing. But I miss all the things that I have at home!

Hollyoaks, pop world, big brother, eastenders, coronation street, magazines, MSN, myspace, bebo, you tube, my mobile, top 40, gossip, bitching, shopping, primark, matalan, TK max, new look, select, the high street, clean clothes, my big sunglasses, celeb goss, my cats Mcavity and Mctavish, my friends, sleepovers, staying out, my trackies, flirting, texting…….

That's the shortened list.

I'm so bored that right now I'm skipping. Something I haven't done since I was like nine.

I started doing that chant from Christina's song _Candyman _quite randomly, because it was the last song I listened to on my iPod.

(Thank GOD that still has battery. I would just leap off the ship otherwise. Not that I can. Oh, I didn't say did I? This ship sails underwater. It freaked me out when I first found out. I had just woken up from the worst night in the world due to sleeping on the floor instead of the minging bed and I went outside, thinking a bracing sea breeze would I don't know, wake me up or something. Instead I was face to face with a whale. I screamed and ran around a lot, until George told me that this was how the ship sailed. Since then, I've got used to it but it still worried me a lot. I mean, how does it work? And could a great white shark swim through the thing? And where is crush and little squirt?)

(Sorry had to mention Finding Nemo somewhere. I mean, this under water sailing lark just reminds me of the EAC!)

"_Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine , sippin from a bottle of vodka double wine, Jane lost her grip and a-down she fell, squared herself away as she let out a yell…"_

* * *

I leant on the rail in front of the wheel, out across my ship. The last few days were some of the most confusing days of my life.

Keeping track of things when you can only be with your family once every ten years is difficult.

_I ran to her home, which was in a house just off the harbour. I ran to the house and knocked on the door loudly. After there was no reply, I tried the door. It was locked firmly. Frowning slightly, I looked though one of the windows hopefully. Inside was pitch black. No signs of life. Frowning now, I went to the house next door and knocked on the door. A skinny woman with dark eyes opened it, looking suspiciously at me._

_"Excuse me, where's the woman who lives next door?"_

_"Woman next door? I've lived here for four years an I aint ever seen no woman next door. That house has been abandoned since ever. It's meant to be haunted by the ghost of the ole witch who used to live there." She then slammed the door in my face. Confused, I now walked to where I had last known my son to live. I knocked on the door and he answered. At least I know where he is._

_"Father? You're back? Come in!" He was around thirty now, grown up since I'd last seen him. He led me into a small room, where a woman was sat rocking a dark haired baby. Beside her was sat a dark haired little girl. She looked at me fearfully then turned to my son._

_"William who is this man? Is it someone from the docks?" _

_"No, no Helen don't worry. He is my father."_  
_Helen let out a noise somewhere between snapping at him and disbelief. The little girl was sat there sucking her thumb. She waved at me. Her mother shushed her, glowering at me._

_"Come sit down. Charlotte, make room for the adults." The girl got up and let me sit down. She then sat down on my lap. Helen made to move her, but I stopped her._

_"No, no honestly it's fine." She raised an eyebrow at me then got up._

_"I'm going to bed and I'll take John up." She stormed out the room, muttering to the baby. My son smiled apologetically._

_"I'm sorry for that. Helen does not believe all the things I tell her, not one little bit. I guess she's just mad that she's been proven wrong at last." I smiled at this and Charlotte removed the thumb from her mouth with a pop._

_"I believe Daddy's stories."_

_"Do you now?" I asked, trying to be all friendly with her but I haven't had that much experience with children. _

_"Yes. They the best stories. Anna next door's daddies stories aren't half as good. And they're true which makes them the best." She thought for a moment then pulled at my bandana. She put it on herself, giggling. "Look at me daddy! Look at me! I look like the picture of granddad!"_

_"Charlotte…this is granddad. He's come to see us."_  
_Her mouth went a little O and she stared up at me in a mixture of fear and awe._

_"So you were the one in all dem stories fighting and a pirate?" She jumped off my lap and mimed sword fighting. She twisted too quickly and fell over on the floor. I gingerly picked her up and sat her back on my lap. _

_"Yeah that's me."_

_"Wow….you must be the best granddad in the world." She popped the thumb back into her mouth. _

_"William, can err…"_

_"Helen."_

_"….take Charlotte upstairs? I want to talk to you and she might not wish to hear." Charlotte looked like she might cry._

_"Wanna stay down here daddy. Wanna stay here!" Having no experience with children or temper tantrums I decided just to let her stay._

_"William, I wanted to ask where is your mother? I went to the house and the house was empty. I asked a neighbour and she said she couldn't remember a woman ever living there. Where is she?"_

_"Father, we should move Charlotte upstairs…" He started flustering but a pop interrupted him._

_"Grandma's gone. She lives in a beautiful place called heaven where it's peaceful and happy and there's no bad things. Mummy told me so."_

_"__Sh-she's dead?" I fell back against the back of the chair. Dead. And I wasn't here._

_"Yes. About four years ago when Charlotte was about three, there was a lot of cholera around in that part of town. She got it really bad. I tried father, I tried. I got the best doctors I could afford and Helen and I waited on her hand and foot, we left Charlotte with Helen's sister. We stayed up with her all night and moved her here…..but there was nothing we could do." William had been pacing the room, but stopped and turned to me. "But she made us keep the chest. We still have that. She told us to sell everything else and buy something for Charlotte. She loved Charlotte. She said she reminded her of herself when she was a child."_

_"Where is the chest now?"_

_Pop. "It's under my bed granddad. It's mine. Daddy doesn't like it."_

_"Why's that?"_

_"It makes funny noises. A kind of boom ti boom ti boom….but I don't mind it. I like it." Charlotte smiled at me then clasped her hands round my ear._

_"Daddy says it's got a heart in it. Is it true?" She whispered into my ear. _

_"Yes it is. Can I ask you to do something for me?" I whispered back. She nodded enthusiastically. _

_"Can you look after the chest for me? Never loose it. I need you to keep it safe for me because I can't be around to look after it. Can you do that?"_

_"Yes of course. I'll look after it for ever and then when I can't my daughter can and then her daughter can and then her daughter can…..it'll be looked after forever!" She flung her arms out the empathise 'forever'. I smiled, even though inside it felt like I was breaking._

Since then I've tried my best to make sure I know where the Turners are. To help things, they always stayed in Portsmouth and ironically, were always sailors.

Every ten years, it'd be another little girl, dark haired and dark eyed made to promise to keep the chest safe.

The last one was Anne-Marie Turner, Emily's mother.

She had been younger than the rest of them, at three years old. She had looked exactly like Charlotte had done. She had been sat outside, eating sweets. I'd sat next to her and tried talking to her. She had gone on and on about her nursery dance performance, before giving me sweets too. I made her promise to look after the chest but she didn't seem too bothered about it.

Maybe that's why Emily knew nothing about it.

She confused me so much. She talking lots, in terms and word that I had no idea the meaning of. When I asked her what they meant, she simply looked at me like I was stupid and made her eyes look up in what was clearly a derogatory manner. I didn't know how I was supposed to talk to her. I had to and explain things, but I'd always talked to children. 'Teenagers' as she called herself was another matter.

I was leaning on the rail when I heard her singing. She sang all the time, you could hear her from her cabin. The weirdest songs I'd ever heard. But this wasn't in her cabin. It was more of a chant.  
"_Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine, Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine, Jane lost her grip and a-down she fell, Squared herself away as she let out a yell_…"

I followed the chant. Emily was on a hidden part of the deck, jumping over quickly a piece of rope. Her blonde hair was flying around and with each jump she said another word of the chant. She was doing this round and round in a sort of circle.

"What are you doing?" She gave a squeal, tripped over the rope and fell down. "Oh I'm so sorry…." I ran over to help her up.

"How come whenever your around I end up hurting myself?" She picked herself up and brushed her clothes down.

"What were you doing?"

"Skipping." There she was again with that look. "Don't you know what skipping is?"

"No."

"Erm….well, it's when you like leap over a rope and you throw it over your head and then jump over it again. It's hard to here!" She grabbed my arm and pulled me face to face with her.

"Learn by doing mate. And off we go!" She suddenly threw the rope over my head and in instinct I jumped. She nodded and jumped herself. She started going faster and I struggled to keep up but I got the hang of it. It was a bizarre game.

"You've got it! See, it's not that difficult! Let's add a chant! Ermmmm….okay I say one line you say it back okay?"

"What?"

"Just go wit the flow man! _We are the Georgia girls!"_

_"_We are the Georgia girls….."

"_We wear our hair in curls!"_

_"_We were our hair in curls."

"You're doing really well considering it's your first time! _We wear our dungarees to show our sexy knees!"_

"We wear our -what are dungarees?- dungarees to show our sexy knees."

"_I met this boy one day…."_

_"_I met this boy one day…"

"_He took my breath away…."_

"He took my breath away…." Suddenly I didn't jump and fell flying over. Emily neatly jumped over and stopped.

"Oh I'm sorry ya hurt?"

"People do that for fun?" I asked, standing up and brushing the dust off.

"Well, only girls mainly and only little kids mainly. But I was bored so I thought I'd give it ago." She picked the rope up. "What else is there to do here? I'm dead bored." Suddenly her face lit up. "When can I go shopping? I need new clothes and stuff."

"You can go shopping when we reach port next."

"Oh yay!" She jumped up and down squealing. "This is well good mate. I can't wait to buy myself some new leopard print leggings!"

"Emily I need to talk to you…"

"….Oh and definitely some new big sunglasses! And some dolly shoes! Nice ones, of course, not from Woolies or anywhere like that…."

"Emily, you know that talk I told you about a few days ago…."

"….oh and some decent food! The stuff here is disgusting! I would kill for a pot noodle…."

"Emily! Sit down here!" She stopped mid rant about something called VPL and came and sat down in front of me.

"Yo s'up Will? What d'ya wanna tell me?"

* * *

"……and that's everything I reckon." The day had faded into night. The water around us had once been bright blue, but had changed to deep blue, and was now a dark purple. Will had been talking for hours, not looking at me but staring off into the distance. An hour I reckon it had got cold, so I was now wearing Will's jacket. I was sat on the floor and looking up to him. I listened to everything. I listened to action on the high seas, betrayal, death, love and mystery.

OMG.

They should make a movie from this story! (**A/N: HAHA LOL!!)**

I felt so sorry for him, for all he went through. (Of course it could be biased….but goddamit if I'm not allowed to be biased to my own family then who can I be biased to?) He went through most of it for Elizabeth- my great x whatever grandmother.

Who btw, sounds mucho coolio.

I would love to be like her.

She sounds _amazing!_

Like the most amazing feminist ever!

I mean…..pirate king!

Wow.

But seriously……Will got a pretty raw deal.

In exchange for life, he had to miss the best years of the life of the woman he loved. He missed the childhood of his only son. He has to spend forever on this gross old ship. He can only go ashore once every ten years!

I'd hate that…..I'd be so out of fashion!

No I don't really think that!

He sat there, looking miserable. I pulled the coat around me and wiggled my toes in my shoes.

More tension.

But better tension. At least we understood each other now.

"Hey Will…..you know you said that your heart was like cut out? Do you have like a massive scar, or because you're like the living dead it's like healed like in _Death becomes her_?"

"_Death becomes her_?"

"A film…..a like moving story type thing."

"Oh right. Erm I have a scar."

Wow.

Scars are cool. On guys that is. On girls it's kinda freaky.

"Can I see it? What does it look like?" He looked at me, embarrassed I reckon. Mainly because from what he told me, he hasn't spent much time around girls. Shy maybe.

"C'mon I just wanna see it. It's not like it's funky or anything we're family." He frowned at the use of the word 'funky', but nevertheless he pulled his shirt across the chest, showing the most ugly scar I've ever seen. It was red, long and ragged, like it'd never healed.

But oh so cool.

"That is uber gross but so cool. Y'know chicks dig scars?"

"Why would a chicken-"

"No, no no. Chick is slang term for a girl."

"Oh right. But why would a woman want to dig a scar?"

"No again Will. Man, I should stop talking like me….no, when I say it like that it means that girls are into scars if you catch my drift."

Blank look.

"It means that girls find scars attractive."

"Oh I see that now. But I wouldn't want them too. I've only ever loved my wife."

"I wasn't saying go out with someone else, I was just saying that-- ah! I give up! With anyone I know that'd be a compliment."

"What's happened in your life?"

"_What_???"

"I told you my story. Tell me yours."

Grghgm.

He drives me up the wall.

"Okay. I was born in 1992 in Portsmouth hospital. I have two cats called Mccavity and Mctavish. My mother left my dad when I was 12. I have no brothers or sisters. I baby-sit for my next-door neighbour. She has a little girl called Chenise who is just the cutest! I like to go shopping and hang out with my friends. My best friend is Anthea Cooper……" I struggled for something else. "I've done ballet for like all my life."

"Ballet?"

No. Don't make me demonstrate……

"What's that?"

Gah.

Pissy!

I stood huffily up and as if I was in practise, went through some of the basic manoeuvres. Will burst out laughing.

"Is that it? Moving about very slowly?"

"It's not just moving about very slowly! It's a delicate and graceful art form!" I snapped huffily.

"Prove it."

Grrr.

Hang on.

I can do what Rose does in _Titanic. _

That'll show him.

Ha.

I kicked my shoes off, spread my arms and slowly rose. I saw his eyes widen in surprise and him stare at my toes.

Man, this canes but boy is it worth it!

I was there for about a second, swaying on my tip-toes. Then I fell over. Will leapt forward and caught me just in time, my hair just brushing the deck of the ship.

Wow.

Highly heroic.

He lifted me upright again, me clutching to his arm, not able to stand up properly.

"Well, I think that you have proven that ballet is certainly worth your time. I doubt I have one man among my crew that could do that."

"Because you have to train to do this. I'm hoping to be a Prima Ballerina for the performance of _Swan Lake _next year. Miss Stevens says I'm good enough."

"And there was me thinking that all you cared about was clothes and furniture. I'm guessing that this Prima Ballerina thing is the one who is in charge?"

"Well…..she's more like the lead one Y'know. And I'm not shallow. I don't just care about myself." I wrapped the jacket around myself more tightly. The temperature had really dropped. I looked up to the surface and saw the bottoms of many icebergs, glinting evilly above us. Above that, I could see that the sky was getting lighter. Will was looking too.

"I think you should go to bed now. Dawn is breaking. It's very late."

"Or early depending how you look at things."

"Late from someone who is in charge's point of view."

"Fine….fine. I'm going to sleep then. Night Will." I raised my arms to give him a hug. He looked at me like I was mad. I reached around his neck on tip toes and gave him a hug.

I mean, c'mon the guy deserves it!

"Night." I called softly, stopping at the hatch to the lower decks.

"Night." He echoed softly.

Smiling to myself, I walked back my cabin.

I liked Will now.

I liked him a lot.

* * *

**updates wont be as quick now-half term is almost over**


	5. Chapter 5: A fleet of little boats

You will not believe how cold I am on this bloody ship.

For the last four days, we've been sailing to either the North Pole or the South Pole. I'm not sure which. We're sailing above water now, which is a relief. I'm sure I was starting to go mouldy at the edges.

I still have no clean clothes. I'm having to wash the dirtier ones when I finish a bath. I leave these to dry and stay in my cabin all day.

Anyway, I woke up three days ago, went outside and there was around a foot of snow literally on the deck. I ran to the side and saw massive green-white icebergs floating by. I stared at them, my mouth hanging open then ran back to my cabin.

I have seen _Titanic. _I was cold. So I stayed below deck, exploring the ship and put some of my things in a row boat, just to be sure.

I had fun for the next few days, looking around the ship. Would you believe this thing still had cannons? Man, I thought it would have like, no weaponry (YAY! Big word, big word Lalalalala!) but it has massive ole cannons. They creep me out a bit to be honest, so I don't look at them that often, just scurry past them.

In one corner of the ship, this old guy just sits there holding a lantern. I thought it was a statue, but when I crept up to poke it, he moved. I screamed and ran away. Now every time I go down there, I reach that corner and run past as fast as possible in case he tries to talk to me or something.

Then, two days ago when I felt I'd explored every single square millimetre of this place, I found a door in one dark little hidden corner. It was out of plain sight, so I stumbled over it. Literally. I fell over some uneven floorboards and slid head-first into the damn thing. Thinking that I hadn't been in there before I grabbed the door handle thing, which was like a loop of iron and yanked. No luck. I shook it, swore at it, kicked it and pulled as hard as I could on that stupid loop door handle but I couldn't open that door.

I asked Henry and George about it but they just shook their heads and said, "Don't go near there. It's Cap'n's business."

"Well, I'm related to the Captain. Doesn't it make it my business then?"

"You'd have to ask Cap'n on that. But I reckon he'd say the same: stay away from that room."

Grrr.

Pissy.

I found myself going down to look at the room several times that day. Y'know just to see if I could catch anyone going into that room. At about three-ish, I ran down there and head people running away from me. I followed and saw the door slam shut in front of me.

God damnit!

I flung myself at the door but no luck.

I turned and saw a big, silvery fur coat left on the floor.

Not something you usually find on a pirate ship is it?

So, I picked it up and took it with me.

Now, I'm against cruelty to animals, but I didn't kill it did I?

It was so lovely and soft and best of all- warm. I was the warmest I'd been in days.

This made me get rather selfish. I started to think to myself that I needed my new clothes NOW.

* * *

In the morning after a lovely sleep in my new coat, I stepped out on deck in the early morning light. We were deep in whichever pole it was, and the ship was cracking through sheet ice. The crew were running around, tying ropes, climbing rigging and all that stuff that they did (Don't ask me what it is.). I stepped out, swung out my wave of blonde hair and wore the coat on my shoulders. To just rub it in that I was related to the Captain I admit I swaggered just a bit. I walked right up to that bit where the wheel and the helm and that stuff is. Will was running around, talking to a lot a guys who I hadn't seen before.

"Will?" I called, stopping and sitting on the snowy railing.

"…one of them is complaining that she has had her fur coat stolen. I would not put it past any member of this crew to have taken it but I want it returned immediately or they will face a severe punishment…."

"Heylo Will…..can I talk to you for just a sec?"

"….Not now Emily. A few more have been complaining that the door has been shaking a lot and distressing them…."

"You know you promised me new things?"

"….I know I did Emily but give me a minute. So I want to know what has been happening down there. Has anyone been disturbing that room?"

"W-ill….instead of doing this boring stuff how about you take me shopping instead? C'mon, it's so cold here we could go somewhere nice and sunny!"

"EMILY! Please! Can you not see that I am in the middle of something very important? Or can you not see past your own needs and wants to let me do my duty?" He snapped, turning round to face me. "And where did you get that coat?"

I drew it round myself protectively. "Found it, below deck."

"You went looking around that door? Did I not tell you--"

"No you didn't actually. I was bored so I went exploring."

"But I bet someone told you not to go there. Yet you did so anyway. Did you not think to do what you were told?" He was walking towards me now, furious. I tried stepping back, of course only to walk into the railing I was sat on. I started to say something but he interrupted me.

"Does nothing enter that head of yours except shopping, clothes and whatever you want?"

I know I had been selfish but this guy I barely now had just shouted at me and basically said I was shallow.

"Yeah…well….you're just a gaybo who just obviously couldn't explain everything to me because of your stupid big ego!" I burst into tears and ran downstairs to my cabin.

* * *

"Emily?" He was knocking at the door, gently. I had been crying in the cabin for an hour, and had locked the door for the last five. It was night now and had warmed up considerably. I had fallen asleep earlier and when I woke I had somehow gotten to the other side of the room. I had like, a zillion bruises. It was confusing.

Anyways, he was knocking on the door and my mood had not improved.

"What Will? Go away you gay!"

"You are aware I have keys for this room?" A jangle and he was standing in the doorway of the newly opened door.

"Well now I do." I muttered grumpily, scooching up the bed to make some room for him. He sat down gingerly, looking at the poster of Harry from McFly. He examined it closely, poking it as if he didn't believe it.

"Stop it ya gay. It's a poster. It's not real." I sat up and pulled his arm away. He looked sheepish and I rolled my eyes.

"I wanted to apologise for what I said earlier. I did not tell you fully my purpose upon this ship, and thus you would believe me to have forgotten my promise."

"Yeah, but I was being really selfish though. Oh, I'm so sorry Will!" I flung my arms around his neck and he fell backwards in surprise. "I'm real sorry, yeah? Sorry for calling you a gaybo Will! I didn't mean it!"

"What does that mean?" His voice was slightly muffled under my arm.

"What gaybo? Oh it's just a slang for gay. Not that I'm homophobic or nowt, it's just a word everyone uses."

"Gay? Homophobic?"

Oh.

God.

Not another of these conversations.

"erm….well gay means homosexual and homophobic means scared of gay people."

Not with that same blank look again Will.

Just understand this for once.

Please.

"Oh will you understand for once? It's not difficult! What's the old fashioned word for it? Sodomite that's it! A guy who like guys or a girl who likes girls. Adam at school's gay and he's well nice. He's always like, 'Oh Emily baby that top looks so good with your eyes!' And I'm like 'Oh thanks Adam!'" I burst out into giggles. Will however stayed looking confused.

"If you like these people then why use a term for them to insult people?"

I stopped laughing right away.

I could see his point.

I'd never thought how nasty the term actually was.

I'd always used it without really thinking.

Amazing how a guy born in the 1700's can make you rethink how you use modern day slang.

* * *

I shifted my weight uncomfortably. There was a slight snag of tension in the air.

"Anyways, this duty you were telling me off?" I said this rather brightly, to ignore the last comments. Will sat up a little, looking thoughtful.

"As Captain of the Flying Dutchman--"

"Oh is that the name of this ship?" He shot me a look and I shut up quickly.

"I have certain duties to perform. I have to take sailors drowned at sea to the locker--"

"Oh Davy Jones' locker? We learnt about that story in English last year when we did pirates for Treasure Island. And my dad and uncles are always joking…about…it…." Will had shot a look clearly telling me to stop interrupting. "Sorwy Will."

"As I was saying, that is what happens to sailors lost at sea. For those who are not sailors, their souls are lost. Forever. Unable to find eternal peace. My job is to help them. I find them and help them to eternal peace. That's why we've come so far north. We've sailed off world's end."

World's end?

I blank look.

Will rolled his eyes, a trick clearly taught by myself.

"We've sailed off the edge of the world Emily. Did you not notice?"

"No. I was asleep. But seriously, the edge of the world? Come off it Will. That defies all scientific knowledge and physical knowledge."

"Come outside if you do not believe me."

He led me outside. I looked over the edge of the ship. What he said was true. This was like no sea I'd ever seen. It was one single black body, with thousands upon millions of tiny boats afloat. Each had one or two people in them, a single candle illuminating their faces. It was a beautiful, awe-inspiring sight but it was slightly creepy. As the ship parted the waters, no one turned to look at us. They all stared straight forwards.

A line of people were led up from down below. I opened my mouth to ask but then the thought struck me. They were the souls of the dead. I turned to Will and he nodded. I shuddered a little. They were being led down to empty boats were they sat still, the only movement to light a candle that was provided at the bottom of the boat. They were then cast off, floating off into eternity.

A rich looking woman came up.

"Captain 'Urner were are my furs?" She asked in a strange accent. She then spotted me. I gulped and struggled to pull off the coat. The woman came up to me and gently stroked my face. "Such a preatyy girll….you keep 'hem my dear. They are mor use to you than to me. And these." She reached to her ears, taking out a pair of earrings and placed them in my hand, closing it. She smiled, entered the boat and floated off. I choked back a sob, clutching the earrings and turned back to Will.

However in the way of Will was someone I knew.

"No! it's not you is it?" I ran up to him. He looked down at me in surprise.

"Young Emily? Is it you? Are you lost too?"

"No….no I'm not--"

* * *

**TBC**

**Tune in next time to find out whose soul is lost from Emily's present**!

**And I know I practically ripped this bit from the movie but I don't care p**

**Lol!**

**And I send love vibes to every single one of my reviewers- I value all your comments and try to do something about the points you raise. For example, why Emily doesn't freak out about wanting to go home I hope is explained in the last chapter. She doesn't want to go home because she hates home.**

**Any questions at all you want to ask about the story, I will answer**


	6. Chapter 6:A fleet of little boats part 2

"_No! It's not you is it?" I ran up to him. He looked down at me in surprise._

_"Young Emily? Is it you? Are you lost too?"_

_"No….no I'm not _Uncle Dave!"

It wasn't my real uncle, but one of those 'friends of the family' type uncles that everyone has millions of. Well, I have millions of them. They're all part of dad's crew. My dad is like, just below an admiral or something in the Royal Navy. I don't know what exactly- I hardly see my dad now. He's always off sailing somewhere and my mum left him a few years ago so I only see him on odd weekends.

Anyways, I was thinking why is he here when he's a sailor (Like Will had just explained- sailors go to Davy Jones' locker right?) when I saw he was in his civilian clothes.

"Uncle Dave, why are you here? Shouldn't you be in the locker?" I reached round his neck and hugged him. He seemed unsure as to what a hug was, and stood there vapidly, arms my his sides.

"No…I can't really remember…we were coming back from somewhere and we were off duty. We weren't the crew…we were resting. Then…then the ship went down." He seemed so lifeless and blank. I could have cried. He was only here on a technicality. A technicality! If he had been doing his job then he would have been cursed to the locker.

Then I remembered he'd been off duty with the rest of the men. My dad…

"Uncle Dave, where's my dad? Did he escape? Did he get away okay?"

"I can't remember…I don't know…" Two crew members came up and started to pull him away. I clung on harder desperate for an answer.

"Uncle Dave tell me were my dad is!" I shook him, trying to speed a answer. They were pulling me away now, leading him to a little boat.

"I don't know little Emily…goodbye." He floated away, a little speck of light among millions. I ran to the side to try and shout to him. I squinted out when I caught the face of a pale man. He had very pale eyes with a crease in-between, caused by worry. He had a nervous looking face, with lots of freckles. He was blonde haired, a very pale blonde that was almost white. He was wearing one of those god awful cricket jumpers and wasn't holding the candle like others. He sat looking at it, picking at his fingernails. He was shaking a little, also. I recognised him straight away, also.

My dad.

* * *

I went still, and felt my knees buckle underneath me.

"Dad? Daddy!" I screamed to him, my knuckles turning white on the side of the ship. He turned to me, his face worried. He burst into a nervous smile.

"Emily…you look nice…I see you've met Mr Turner…" He gave a nervous nod to Will. "...imagine my shock when I found that out eh?" He gave his laugh which sounded sickly and uneasy. "All your mothers stories were true eh? How is your mother? Still with, er, uncle Eddie?"

"Daddy he's not my uncle. I know he's mum's boyfriend. And yes, they're still together. But I don't think it's that serious." I was crying now. My dad was dead and I didn't even know about it. It was just sat out there, smiling at me while I was on a ship, still alive.

"Daddy are you okay? How is it out there?" I was desperately trying to hold onto him now. His boat was floating past.

"I'm fine out here Emily. It's peaceful. I'm proud of you Emily. The day of the accident I heard about your latest performance. I'm so proud of you Emily…" His voice was faint now, the boat had almost gone by.

"Daddy! Daddy!" I screamed, almost jumping over the side. "Daddy don't go! You can't be dead you can't be!" I ran down to the place were the boats were being released from. I pushed dead souls and crew members out of my way and crouched by the water side. The back of my father's boat was there. I stretched out a hand.

"Daddy! Take my hand! Just grab it and we can go home." Hot tears were falling down my face now. I stretched out even further, desperate for him to just touch my hand.

"Emily, I can't reach…just stretch a bit further dear." My father had climbed to the back of the boat and was stretching as far as he could. He looked terrified. Our fingertips were almost touching.

"I can't hold on dad…I'm slipping!" My knees were almost slipping off the side by how far I was reaching out.

"Then jump Emily. Jump and save me." My dad's hollow eyes were boring into me. I stood up.

"I'm coming daddy." I threw off the coat, slipped off my shoes and prepared to jump.

* * *

"Don't let her jump overboard! Don't let her touch the water!" Will shouted out. Hearing these words I leapt forwards. Strong arms grabbed my middle and pulled me back. My legs flew out wildly over the water but I stayed on the ship.

"Daddy! No dad come back! Daddy!" I screamed, kicking my arms and legs out. My dad was gone now, a sad wave his only goodbye. I screamed again, trying to leap into the water to swim after my dad.

"Emily, he's gone." Whispered Will in my ear. I realised that he had been the one to grab me and stop me leaping into the water. I still fought his grip though. I tried as hard as possible to break free but after five minutes of struggling I gave up.

I hung limply in his arms, tears rolling silently down my cheeks.

"Will, what would have happened if I'd jumped into the water?" He gently lifted me but almost dropped me again. I clutched my arms round his neck, my feet lifted high in the air so I could be moved in over the tiny little edge. We were face to face. He hadn't noticed as he was looking out over the side. He turned back, jumped and almost made me loose my grip. I giggled. He seemed uncomfortable but I let go and landed on the deck.

"Emily I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I should have done--"

"Will I understand. It wasn't your place. I just didn't think that dad would drown now….or something….he should have been home. In Portsmouth. With mum."

"Are they married?"

"Were. They got a divorce, about four years ago."

"Divorce? Isn't that ill--"

"No Will." I sighed. "Not anymore. Anyone can get a divorce if they fall out of love."

"Is that why they got one then?"

"I guess…I don't think they loved each other really that much, they just got married cos I threatened to be a extra guest at the wedding. And dad was always away a lot, off sailing the sea….mum just needed company. So she started going out with Eddie, the milkman next door. Dad came home, fund his stuff in a box outside and a divorce paper needing his signature."

Will had gone quiet through this.

What now?

Oh right…..

Him wife. Him leave wife. Him situation rather painfully like my dads.

Oh……..

Crapshitballswhydidibringitupbollocks!

"No Will! This situation is not like yours! My mum didn't love my father not once. I'm sure……"

"Elizabeth."

"….Thank you I knew that, just needed reminding. I'm sure that Elizabeth loved you with every square nanometre of her heart. My mother is a bitch. End of."

He still looked miserable. He wasn't looking at me, but out over the fleet of little boats. I looked over them and wondered out of the millions of people out there, which one was my dad.

I felt tears well up again. I'd lost the one good role model I'd truly had. Sure, my dad may have been a walking, talking bag of nerves but he had been a good man. Better than my mum for sure. She was a psycho-bitch, TRUST ME.

My tears burnt at the corners of my eyes and I wiped them on the back of my hand. Will reached up and undid his bandana. I took it, giggling a bit at the idea. He hesitated a bit, then hugged me. I wrapped my arms around his arm and rested my head on his arm, still crying.

He smelt.

But not badly.

He smelt of sea salt, sea breeze and the dry smell that comes from sand dunes on a hot day.

It was comforting.

It reminded me of my dad.

We stood there as thousands of lit boats floated by.

I felt safe in Will's arms.

I had found a new role model.

And this one, I knew, would not let me down.

* * *

**I'm sorwy that this is really short and kinda sucky**

**But I'm watching CSI and the lab team are teaming up to find the miniature killer!**

**Yea, I know its already been on but in Britain the show schedule is behind the US.**

**Anyway g2g, a rat just jumped out a body!**

**Love vibes for all reviewers!**

**feel the love **


	7. Chapter 7: Dont stand so close to me

"There you go. Sydney. Will you be able to find everything you need there?"

We had sailed quickly from world's end. The return journey….was interesting to say the least. (DO NOT ASK about upside down ships!) Remembering his promise, Will had sailed as fast as the ship could go to the nearest big city with a port. Which turned out to be Sydney.

Yeah.

SYDNEY, Australia!

The place to have a trip-of-a-lifetime.

And I get to come here to go shopping, for free!

I love my life at the moment.

The view was beautiful, really breath-taking. The sunlight sparkled off the opera house and the millions of buildings and hose spread as far as I could see. We were quite far out of course, and I watched whales come up around the side of the ship, squirting fountains of water from their blowholes. One of them got me and I burst out laughing.

"Emily? EMILY!" I snapped back round to him, after momentarily forgetting where I was.

"What?"

"Will you be able to buy everything you need in Sydney?"

"Oh sure of course! Hang on, money! I haven't got any!" I patted my pockets hopefully, but pulled out a ruined receipt from Waterstones and five assorted coppers. Will sighed and pulled out a cloth drawstring bag from a pocket in his jacket. He pulled out three chunky gold coins and dropped them one by one into my hand. They were cold and damp. I looked at them carefully. George IV era. Cool.

"Will that be enough?"

"Wow, shiny….hmm? Oh yeah sure. Course it will."

"Then your boat awaits." He pointed to a little rowing boat. I stared at it, then at him, then at the boat again.

"Do I have to row that all by myself?"

"Well, as I can only go on land once every ten years…."

* * *

"Bloody pirates!" I yelled back at the ship. I was rowing into Sydney marina all by myself. Considering I had never rowed before in my life, I did pretty well. But seriously….it's well painful! I'm gonna have massive He-Man muscles if I do it too often. 

Not attractive in the slightest.

Eugh shudder Female muscle men just creep me out.

I docked my rowing boat, feeling well embarrassed at everyone's stares. One man came up to me.

"Where did yew come from?"

"The big boat over there…" I pointed at The Flying Dutchman. The man peered at it, before turning round three times and spitting on the dock.

"My fartha allways told mae to dou thet if I saw The Flyaing Dutchman!" He looked at me warily before running away. I swore and pulled desperately at the mooring rope. I could not for the life of me tie the damn boat up.

"Curse you bloody sailors and your fucking myths!"

* * *

"Where did you get these?" The shop assistant looked at me with beady eyes over a pair of those little half-moon glasses. I'd gone to an antiques shop to see if I could sell the coins Will had given me. I mean, I couldn't exactly use them could I? 

"Erm……I found them? On Bondi beach?" I tapped my fingers on the counter nervously. I mean, what could I say? _'My meant-to-be-dead cute ancestor gave me them so I could go on a shopping spree'_? Huh, yeah. Believable.

"Really?" The shop assistant sounded like she was practically having an org, the way she sounded. She pulled out one of them little magnifying monocle things and examined one of the coins carefully. "These are part of a very rare set of commemoration coins minted for George IV's coronation. There were only fifty minted and none have ever been found. Until now!" She gave a little dance, practically flying into the air.

"Well, we don't want them. How much will you buy them for?" I asked, desperate to start hitting the shops. She thought carefully, counting on her fingers.

"Oh I don't know….will $50,000 be enough?"

$50,000?

Enough?

I think I might just faint. Seriously.

Argh……..

I'm hyperventilating!

Now to buy designer sunglasses.

* * *

"Ow!" My dolly shoe had come off and I'd trodden in some gravel. I was pushing a trolley with an Ikea bed, wardrobe, bedside table, beanbag chair, desk and one of then tube things with separate compartments. I was carrying about fifty bags from just about every big shop I could find. I was SO out of breath. I was also carrying in the trolley about ten massive shopping bag stuffed with good, decent food. Love shopping, hate walking back. I didn't even know how I was gonna get it back to the ship. No way was it all gonna fit on my piddling row boat. 

I was on the point of despair when I saw some of the crew were rowing over. One of them reached the dock just by my feet. The guy rowing it took a double take when he saw how much I had.

"Well, you can carry them bags. I'm not carrying all that!"

* * *

I was sat in my cabin, trying in vain to put together my new bed. I hate these do-it-yourself kits. I can never do them. 

Brain to Emily: They why did you buy them then?

Emily to brain: I don't know. Do you want to spend another night on the floor?

Brain to Emily: NO! Splinters everywhere! But how will we do this then miss smarty-pants?

Emily to brain: Exactly. How WILL we do this?

Brain to Emily: Ahhhhhh…..got ya!

Brain and Emily: "W-ILL!"

Lol

I love it when my brain and I are on the same page.

It happens less than you think.

5

4

3

2

1

"What's the matter Emily?" Will opened the door. I jumped up and did a sort of skipping-run to him.

"I can't put my stuff together can you help me?" I even did the little-Emily-pout for which I'm famous in Portsmouth. It actually amazed me sometimes how much time Will spent being with me or doing things for me. I mean, he has a ship to run, right? But I suppose he has like, first mates and stuff to do the real work for him. Except last night….the night before we arrived outside Sydney he had The Job to do.

* * *

_The noise outside woke me. The screams of wind, sea….and people. Running out, whilst still putting my shoes on, I looked out over the railings. There was a ship out there, in the blackness of the night….I peered out but I couldn't see anything. I ran hurriedly up to the platform where the ship's wheel was. I squinted through the telescope attached to the side of the ship. And aimed it on the ship's deck. It had struck something and was ever so slowly sinking beneath the water. A group of the crew were stood on the deck, holding torches, the flickering light illuminating the deck. And Will's face. He was crouched down, talking to someone. It was a man, blood pouring down his face. The man looked so scared, terrified, but Will was comforting him. He then turned to someone else, a woman who had only half of her face. I shuddered, retching but stayed watching. Will was talking to her too. I desperately wished to know what was being said, but for some reason it felt wrong for me to be looking on at this. Like spying on something secret, forbidden….suddenly Will looked out to the ship. I jumped back from the telescope. He was looking straight at me. He knew I was looking._

_Gah!_

_I walked hurriedly back to my cabin, just in case he arrived back at the ship to yell at me. It did feel like I'd watched something I wasn't supposed to, found something that was supposed to stay hidden. Trampled all over something that was purely his business, not mine. _

_In the morning, we said nothing about what the other had seen. _

_But we both knew we were right._

* * *

"How do these work?" Will held up the left side of the bed and a bed post. I held up the little bag of screws triumphantly. 

"With these." He looked at them, then back to me, eyebrow raised. I held up the little screwdriver-thing that all Ikea items come with. He took it from me and looked at it, confused. I nodded and held up the instructions.

"I'll read the instructions shall I?"

* * *

The afternoon turned out to be quite fun actually. We had such a massive argument over the desk and I went into a mardy and opened a tube of Pringles. (Remember my ten shopping bags of food?) I ate about twenty. Will came over and grabbed the tube from me. 

"What are these?"

"Pringles. Once ya pop ya just can't stop!"

"So I eat them?" I nodded. He stuck his arm uncertainly in the tube and pulled out two. He slowly put one in his mouth and chewed. He looked worried for a moment then his expression cleared.

"They're good aint they? Now give me some." Instead of giving me the tube, he held onto it. I slapped his arms but he ran off laughing.

I ended up chasing him round half the ship for the Pringles. Then I remembered I had another tube of them so I went back to my cabin and ate them instead. Will came back, laughing. I ignored it, sticking my tongue out.

After we finished the desk and the bed, and Will was now working on the wardrobe, I turned on my now fixed mobile phone. No messages. I guess everyone thought I was dead. Oh great. I pulled out my new iPod stereo (which I had got with solar power attachment lol!) and put it on, as I was bored now. McFly's _Baby's coming back _started blasting out. Will jumped a little at the noise.

"iPod stereo." I said as way of explanation, sitting down next to him and holding up the next side for him to screw onto the base.

"Eye pod? Is it similar to a musical box?"

"Er….yes."

Not willing to go into electrics with him.

Far too hard to explain and I have no explaining energy left in me.

Anyway, we slowly but surely put the furniture together whilst listening to my iPod. Sometimes Will would burst out laughing to them, or he'd look so confused I just really wanted to smack him to make him understand or in some cases he'd even whistle along. That made me laugh

_"One, two, three, four baby scream if you want some more! Watch me work it I'm perfect." _I was singing to my iPod now, given up doing what I was meant to. Will was just finishing the bedside table. He looked up at me quizzically, as I did half dance routines in my socks.

"What do you call that?"

"Dancing."

"That is not dancing. That is just moving your arms, like that last type of dance you did."

"F-ine Monsieur Smarty-Pants. You show me how to dance _properly_." I drawled as sarcastic as possible.

"Erm….right. You'll have to put on a slower song though." I picked up my iPod and started scrolling through it. _Room on the third floor _by McFly. That's slowish, right? It'll have to do, it's the slowest song I have on my iPod.

"No, that's not slow enough."

Grrr.

"Will, it's the slowest song on there. I don't regularly listen to Beethoven or whojaflip…Mozart that's the one! I listen to normal music. Not boring old classical! It'll have to do, right? End of." He frowned at this but what else could he say?

Lol

"Right….now stand here." He pushed me in front of himself gently. "Put your hand here." He moved my hand to his shoulder. He put his hand on my waist. "Then we hold hands like this." He grabbed my hand and I jumped a little in surprise. "Sorry! Rough hands."

"What? Oh no I wasn't jumping at that. So what do I do next?"

"Move your feet like this…no put your foot here…"

* * *

Over the next hour or so, I slowly learnt how to do a waltz. It was a process that involved much treading on Will's toes, him asking me how come I was so good at one type of dance and not another, me really _really _wanting to scream out loud and hit him with something heavy like a frying pan. 

(But alas no frying pans in sight….just praise me for not screaming out loud. )

(I feel your praise vibes!)

(LOL!)

We'd been doing this so long that to my surprise the next song on was _I bet you look good on the dance floor _by one of my favourite bands EVER, the Artic Monkeys.

"_Stop making the eyes at me, I'll stop making the eyes at you, And what it is that surprises me is that I don't really want you to"_

"Come on, let's dance fast now!"

"_And your shoulders are frozen (cold as the night), Oh, but you're an explosion (you're dynamite)"_

"What? How?"

_"Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand, And lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang, go!"_

"Just go wit the flow Will! Try and copy me!"

"_I bet that you look good on the dance floor  
I don't know if you're looking for romance or  
I don't know what you're looking for  
I said, I bet that you look good on the dance floor  
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984  
From 1984!  
_

_  
I wish you'd stop ignoring me, because it's sending me to despair  
Without a sound, yeah, you're calling me, and I don't think it's very fair  
That your shoulders are frozen (cold as the night)  
Oh, but you're an explosion (you're dynamite)  
Your name isn't Rio, but I don't care for sand  
Lighting the fuse might result in a bang, b-b-bang, go!  
_

_  
I bet that you look good on the dance floor  
I don't know if you're looking for romance or  
I don't know what you're looking for  
I said, I bet that you look good on the dance floor  
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984  
From 1984!  
_

_  
Oh, there ain't no love, no Montagues or Capulets  
Are just banging tunes and DJ sets and...  
Dirty dance floors, and dreams of naughtiness!  
_

_  
Well, I bet that you look good on the dance floor  
I don't know if you're looking for romance or  
I don't know what you're looking for  
I said, I bet that you look good on the dance floor  
Dancing to electro-pop like a robot from 1984  
From 1984!"_

I had such fun dancing with Will. He is such a goof at dancing but for the first time since I've been on ship I've had fun. I felt happy. It felt like I was back in Portsmouth with my mates, not on a pirate ship crewed by the undead. I'd just seen him over the past few days as a bit of a boring ole sod really, but over the last few days he'd really shown that he was a genuinely nice person. Heroic even….

Suddenly a bell rang above deck. The sign of another sunken boat. Will broke away, ran to the door then remembered me and stopped.

"I've got to go Emily. Do not follow me."

Aha!

So he did see me!

Hang on.

Bad thing.

Oops.

"I won't. Erm…see ya around yah?" Then he was gone. I sat on my new bed heavily. If he wasn't coming back tonight then I could at least do what I was planning to do without any fuss.

As if to mock me, the next song on my iPod was _Umbrella _by Rihanna.

"_When the sun shines, we'll shine together  
Told you I'll be here forever  
Said I'll always be a friend  
Took an oath I'ma stick it out till the end  
Now that it's raining more than ever  
Know that we'll still have each other  
You can stand under my umbrella  
You can stand under my umbrella…."_

* * *

I stuck my head out the door of my cabin cautiously. There was no-one around. Good. I was only in my brand new Betty Boop pyjamas and a pair of fluffy socks. It doesn't sound bad I know, but the bottoms were only a pair of tiny spotty shorts so….anyway, I grabbed the package hidden next to the door and ran as fast as I could upstairs, sliding a bit in my fluffy socks. I lent over the rail, turning it over and over in my hands. 

When I was in Sydney, I'd logged onto my myspace and printed off a photo. It was the last one of my dad and me. I was hugging him at Christmas last year. I'd had it backed onto MDF, and I'd haphazardly stuck white flowers around it. I planned to throw it out into the sea, as a sort of memorial service. I knew no-one would care back home about my dad at all. But I did.

I turned the photo-wreath in my hands and started to cry.

I thought of my SEVEN uncles who were all out at sea at this very moment. They could all just be gone in s second.

I started to cry harder.

I didn't even notice someone walking behind me.

I jumped a mile when they reached for my shoulder. I swung round ready to deck them one, when I saw it was Will. Before, he could say anything I jumped on him. I buried my head into his shoulder, crying.

"There, there?" He hazarded. Man, did he seem really uncomfortable around me crying. I smiled through the tears. He picked up the photo-wreath which I'd dropped.

"Is this your father?"

"Yeah. Last Christmas. I was gonna like throw it out to sea or something. Daft I know…."

"I don't think it's silly. Or 'daft'. It's suitable." I smiled, thankful for the support. I moved to the rail and leant on it, dangling my hands over the side. Will was still holding the wreath.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No, I need someone here. Support." I held out my hand for the wreath. He put it there gently. I turned back to the water and pictured my dad standing there.

"Dad…I guess this is another goodbye. Last time you went without saying goodbye properly. I suppose you're worried about me, Y'know being stuck with mum and 'uncle' Eddie but I'm fine. Another year and I can leave for good. And until then, I'm with someone who's never in a mardy with me or a total spack. I should have spent more time with you I guess. I mean I barely knew you, how could I know you. You were never at home. You were always on a boat somewhere, and all I'd get was a postcard from Germany. For the first two years of my life I thought the photo on the mantelpiece was my dad! You remember when you first came home? You came in and said 'Emily! Daddy's home!' and I ran to that fucking photo and said 'No, that's my daddy. Not you old man!'" I wiped some tears away. But I wasn't crying any more. I was furious now. My dad had never really tried to be a father to me. I was just a girl. At home back in England.

"Then you went again and all I'd get once a month was a stupid phone call. All you'd say was 'Oh I'm sorry I missed another one of your performances I'll be there for the next one'. But you never were. You never even tried. The one time you could have done you went to _bed. _You couldn't get yourself up to see your own daughter 's ballet performance! My uncles did! They're in the same fucking boat as you so that's not an excuse! They gave up their one night on leave to come see me in the _Nutcracker. _Why wouldn't you? At least now you have a good excuse why you don't care! You're dead now…and...and I'm….GLAD!" I screamed the last word as loud as I could. I was shaking with anger now. My dad had cared but when you're a teenager does it matter?

I threw the wreath in the water as hard as I could. I watched it float away slowly. I started pounding on the rail as hard as I could. It hurt but I didn't care. Pound…..pound…..pound…..suddenly, I hit my little finger and I gasped in pain.

"Let me see…." Will came over. He'd been standing quietly throughout my outburst, letting me scream all my anger out. He looked at my little finger. "Does it hurt if I do this?" He pinched it.

"OW Yes!"

"Sorry….and if I move it like this?"

"No, that's fine."

"It's not broken then. You'll be fine." He waggled it. I laughed. I was calmer now.

Urge to kill…..decreasing.

"But Emily I have to say that you should not think too harshly about your father."

Urge to kill……rising.

"My son did not get to see me for the first ten years of his life, and only once every ten years after that. He learnt to cope with it."

Yes but…..

God how do I come back to that?

Grr.

"Yes but Will I had all the men in my family away at sea. I had no male figures in my life at all! I had to live with my mother, who would slap me if I so much as opened my mouth or even dared try to tell dad that she was cheating on him. But when you were with your son I bet you did everything you could with him. My dad never bothered to do anything with me. I was _just _Emily. Nothing important to anyone."

"You're important to me."

AWH!

No one in my family had ever really considered me that important before.

I smiled at Will.

He was such a nice guy to me.

"Your father obviously didn't appreciate that he had a lovely little girl at home with many talents and is really nice."

"You really think that?"

"Yes. You're a sweet girl Emily."

"Thanks Will. That's the best thing anyone I know has said to me in a looong time. Can I ask you something?"

"Yes."

"Are my uncles be safe out there? I'm worried now. I didn't think anything could happen to people on boats anymore but obviously it can." We were both leaning on the rail now. Will looked thoughtful now, absent mindedly scratching the side of his face.

"I rarely get called out to do my duty anymore….less and less people are dying at sea. Sometimes days pass without there being one incidence. I think they'll be safe. They've gone this far haven't they? They must be good sailors to get this far. I think that they'll live a long time safely before even thinking about seeing The Flying Dutchman."

"Good. And how did you know I was going to jump the other night?"

That one had been bugging me for days.

He hadn't seen me start to jump.

So how had he known?

"When I first came out here I was with my wife. Her father had died and was in one of those boats just like yours. She tried to jump to save him. Since you two are similar I thought that you would try and do the same. I was right and saved you."

"You think that me and Elizabeth are similar??"

No way was I anything like her.

She sounded so cool.

She did things I couldn't even dream of.

"Yes. Can't you see it? You're both brave and sweet. You look like her too, in your own way."

Jaw drop moment.

Jaw drops

I had no idea that Will even liked me.

I thought that he thought that I was just an annoying kid.

* * *

We stayed leaning on that railing for ages. Talking mainly. I told him everything. How angry I was at my mother, how I felt trapped at home….all the stuff I just tell Ants about normally. He certainly gave better advice than her. He seemed to care which I liked. 

He was very rapidly becoming one of the best parental figures I've ever had.

Suddenly I yawned. I didn't realise how late it was. The sun was turning the sea pink and purple in the far distance, and lighting up a vast green island.

"Where's that?" I asked pointing, and stifling another yawn.

"That's New Zealand."

Wow.

Totally Kaiser Chiefs moment.

_OMG I can't believe it, I've never been this far away from home….._Lol ya get the idea. I yawned again. Will saw this time.

"Emily go to sleep."

"I'm not tired. This is just a sun-is-rising yawn." I pointed at the sun and unhelpfully yawned again.

"You're practically dead on your feet. Get to sleep now."

God damnit.

No escape.

Fine then.

"Night then." I walked back to the ladder that led downstairs.

"Aren't you cold?" Called Will. I stopped and turned.

"What in the name of zeppelins are you on about Will?" I snapped.

What?

Being tired makes me grumpy.

"Your night clothes. They're……small. Aren't you cold?"

"What? Oh!" My shorts! That's what he's blabbering on about! "Oh no Will, I'm not cold. They're just in fashion is all."

"I don't want to see you walking about in them again. Some of the men on this ship might get the wrong idea."

"Okay. I'll just wear them in my room then." He nodded at this, then turned back round, looking off into the distance. I walked back to my cabin slowly.

My head was a-weighing me down.

It was full of thoughts.

Thoughts of something I shouldn't really be thinking about.

Thoughts of Will. I'll just go to bed.

A song had just finished on my iPod and I realised I'd left it on. Whoops. Ah well. I'll listen to music to send me to sleep. I clambered into my new bed complete with squishy mattress (Squishy mattress bliss!) and dug under the duvet waiting for the next song to come on.

It was _Don't stand so close to me _by The Police.

_"Young teacher, the subject, Of schoolgirl fantasy, She wants him so badly, Knows what she wants to be, Inside her there's longing, This girl's an open page, Book marking - she's so close now, This girl is half his age  
_

_Don't stand, don't stand so, Don't stand so close to me  
_

_  
Her friends are so jealous, You know how bad girls get, Sometimes it's not so easy, To be the teacher's pet, Temptation, frustration, So bad it makes him cry, Wet bus stop, she's waiting, His car is warm and dry  
_

_  
Don't stand, don't stand so, Don't stand so close to me  
_

_  
Loose talk in the classroom, To hurt they try and try, Strong words in the staff room. The accusations fly, It's no use, he sees her, He starts to shake and cough, Just like the old man in, That book by Nabakov  
_

_  
Don't stand, don't stand so, Don't stand so close to me  
_

_  
Don't stand, don't stand so, Don't stand so close to me"_

Okay okay

Now I'm confused.

All throughout that song I thought about Will.

I mean, I don't like Will.

He's just family….

…………………….right?

* * *

**Sorry about how long it took to get this up. To those who read the A/N before I removed it (THANK YOU SO MUCH FUNNESS THIS CHAPPIE IS HALF DEDICATED TO YEW!!) I had severe writers block for this and I still don't think it flows as well as the others but I did it for all you lovely people! And thank you Anne Herbold- the other half dedication is for yew. Thank yew for the ideas I hope they come through in this chapter.**

**NEWAYS…**

**Whilst I had my writer's block I thought to myself that I didn't really have that much background on Emily. I don't really understand her that much myself to be honest and I made her! So I made a bebo profile for her…..call me sad if you will, but it helped me understand her as a person and now you can all go on said profile and have a look at how I think Emily is okay?**

**Cheers me dears the link is on my profile**

**ya wanna add me on bebo btw im jess c on ther**

**sign the guestbook please!**

**ty**


	8. Chapter 8: Five lashes is owed I believe

Emily had been behaving very strangely for the last few days. It was like she was trying her best to avoid me. Every time I tried to talk to her, she would open her mouth and close it a few times then look away. If I tried to catch her when she was up on deck, she would simply walk away.

I have no idea what I've done.

Sometimes whilst steering, I'd look out over the deck and see Emily staring at me, mouth open. As soon as she noticed that I was looking, she would jump and stare hurriedly in the opposite direction.

It confused me.

I thought that we'd come to a sort of agreement over the last few days. We had been a lot friendlier to each other and I thought we at least understood each other a bit better.

But it was like we were back to square one.

She was avoiding me at all opportunities.

Even if she was talking to a crew member and I came past, she'd stop talking abruptly. I tried asking the precious few crew members she talked too about it but they shrugged their shoulders and said they didn't know nothing about it, maybe it was a woman's troubles or something.

I gave up trying.

I watched moodily as Emily ran up and down the deck laughing, hobbling with a crutch stolen off someone. The crew around her started laughing too but stayed doing their duties. However, the young boy who was forever following Emily around ran up to her. He started chasing her laughing.

_He abandoned his duty! _

He was meant to be securing the cannons below the deck. I heard the grumbling down below, a scream and a muffled crash. A ruffled looking crew member suddenly appeared.

"Cap'n, a cannons come loose! It's crashed into the others but there's no serious damage. Young Henry's gone missing he as down here a moment ago!"

"I know where he is!" I snarled. I pointed at Henry who had now caught Emily, and was swinging her round in the air. "Haul him up here!"

The sailor ran after him and dragged him up to my station. Henry had turned a rather delicate shade of green. Emily looked on in surprise. She looked up to me and frowned. She then saw Henry being dragged up, and her eyes screwed up and her hair seemed to crackle. She stormed after him.

Henry in the meantime had been dragged in front of me. He looked at me warily.

"Why did you leave your station?" I snapped. Henry opened his mouth and shut it.

"But sir, I only came up to entertain and amuse Emily! I was only gone for a few minutes, not enough time for any serious damage to be done!" He started struggling in the grip of the crew member who had dragged him up. The said crew member sneered and simply handed the boy over to the Bo 'sun. Henry's eyes went wide and started to struggle more, crying out that he hadn't done anything.

"Henry….Henry….Henry….you should know from your time before the mast that a second can be the difference between life and death. The cannon you left has crashed into all the others. Just be thankful that no serious damage was done or the punishment would be more."

Even though I had been whipped myself, I still carried out the practice on the Flying Dutchman. It was a way of keeping discipline. I tried hard to be a fair captain but this was the ways things were done.

"Five lashes is owed young Henry. If I can take it you can."

"Five _what_?" Bellowed a voice behind us. I turned round. I'd forgotten about Emily. She was stood at the top of the stairs, hands on hips, glowering furiously at me. Henry whispered 'Emily' softly behind me and grinned a smile of hope. Emily took one step towards me, folding her arms, tapping a foot and pursing her lips.

"Lashes Emily. Punishment." I turned around. The gritting of the teeth in the sailors in front of me told me this was a bad idea. Sure enough, a shriek of indignation from her. I turned round and…..

WHAM!

Stars appeared in my vision and I realised she'd slapped me across the face. The sailors were tittering to themselves. I rubbed my sore face and she came sharply into focus. She was shaking in anger, hands clenched by her sides.

"You're going to _whip _him? How………How barbaric! This isn't justice! It's illegal! And what has he done? Let Henry go! Let him go!" She jumped up at me, her little fists punching me hard on my arms.

"I'll deal with her. You deal with him." I said to the Bo' sun, holding the top of Emily's arm and dragging her away from the scene. She was still screaming her head off, too fast for me to be able to make any words out. She was still beating me around the head and arms, so I had to grit my teeth. I hauled her down the stairs and to my cabin.

She stopped when she heard the whip crack and Henry bellow out. But just for a moment. Then she carried on like before. It got to be too much, so I stopped and let go. Before she could fly at me, I picked her up around the middle and carried her on my shoulder. She hung there limply for a second, then pummelled my back with her fists and kicked my front with her little feet.

* * *

He flung me into a chair in his cabin. If I was in my right mind, I would have stopped breathing. Instead I tried to fly out at him.

How dare he! How cruel! Poor Henry!

"Emily sit down…." Muttered Will calmly. I tried jumping up but his large hands held me firmly onto the chair.

"I said sit!" He snapped. I'd never really heard him raise his voice properly. It shocked me a little so I stopped struggling.

"Emily I just want to explain why Henry is receiving this particular type of punishment…"

"Because it's cruel and barbaric and you're just a big meanie?" I interrupted.

Or maybe he's into stuff like that?

I dunno.

I actually don't even want to go there.

Don't even wanna think about it.

Ewww

"No Emily." He sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I have this type of punishment on my ship because when I was first on this ship I received this type of punishment."

Oh

My

God

He certainly kept that quiet.

"Really?" I whispered, my hands at my mouth. He nodded earnestly. "Oh you didn't tell me how was I supposed to know?" He was sat opposite me now and I damn near jumped right into his arms. Instead, I restrained myself and flung my arms around his neck.

I mean poor guy!

Of course I would say that due to bias and…..stuff.

He put his arms around me too. I slipped the edge of my fingers under the collar of his shirt. There, under my fingertips, was a raised line. A scar. I knew then that I should stop but morbid curiosity made me continue. I slid the hand along gently and counted one, two, three, _four _more raised lines. Five scars. He hadn't noticed me so I very carefully ran my fingertips down the scars…..

I looked up and found my eyes locking with the dark eyes of my many great grandmother on the portrait.

Even though the eyes were painted, they seemed to me that they were looking right into me.

Like she _knew _what I felt and was doing.

GAH!!!

I screeched and jumped up, not before Will noticed my hand as it I pulled it out as quick as possible making it hit him in the back of the head.

_Damn, damn, damn!_

He looked at me confused. I still had to explain myself. Great…..excuses, excuses. Erm…my hand just slipped-bad! Juvenile dementia- bad he wouldn't understand that I reckon. Maybe. How about the truth- you weren't meant to notice but the portrait of your dead wife seemed to know what I was doing!

"Emily….what were you doing?" He got up and took a step towards me.

"Erm I….was…..I just…..I was just seeing….how erm…._badly_……you had been beaten?" This seemed to be acceptable to him. "Yeah that's what I was doing, just seeing how…bop a do."

"If you wished to know you should have asked. Anyway, the punishment would have been much worse if it hadn't been my father who did it."

"Your _father _did it? How could he live with himself after beating his….only right?….child?"

"It was a act of kindness."

"Kindness?" I asked, sarcastically.

"Yes. Kindness. If it hadn't have been him, the Bo' sun would have whipped me instead and he could cleave flesh from bone with every swing apparently."

Ack!!!

That would have been worse!

He could have died!

I vaguely remember him saying this before but ah well I'll listen again!

"Oh! Poor you! That would have been awful!" I pushed him back into his chair and knelt at his feet. Like I was praying or something…._like a prayer, I'll take you there………_lol I'm in a random Madonna mood now. "Why did it happen? How? I thought that he was stuck on this ship?"

"He was. A certain captain tricked me onto this ship where I was reunited with my father."

"Jack Sparrow right? See I remember what you say! But how come your father isn't on the ship now?"

"He served his time and I released him. He came free at a time I could go onto land, so he was freed to live again. On land. America I think."

America?

OMG HE MEANS THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNERS!

Ever since ever, a family in Pennsylvania also called Turner phoned us up every month to see how we were. They claimed to be related to us but me nor my mum couldn't see how they were related to us. Now I could. Oh great….

"That's nice. He got to be happy. Did you two get along?"

"To a certain degree I guess. Not to a extent where we were very close like you wished to be with your mother."

"Yeah…."

The tension had risen again. It always manages to creep in when we least expect it. Or when I. I was still knelt at his feet, leaning on his knee. He seemed unsure as to what he wanted to say. I had no idea what I should do next except glare at the portrait on the wall.

She was still looking down on me. It was starting to freak me out….

Suddenly a crew member burst in.

"Cap'n there's a ship in trouble off the starboard bow…you wish for us to help them?" He looked down at me and raised his eyebrows. "I'm sorry if I'm _disturbing _you two. I'll leave if you're busy…."

_"We are not busy!" _Roared Will, jumping up and sending me flying. "How dare you insinuate such a thing between me and Emily? Emily is my relative, a young innocent girl, do not think again that anything is happening! Now, I advise you to step to and show me this ship in trouble!" He stormed out the room, leaving me on the floor.

I got up shakily and walked up to the massive portrait of Elizabeth on the wall. She was still staring at me.

People are in competition with each other all the time for guys but is there anything weirder than being in completion with your own many times great grandmother?

"Emily!" Will suddenly called from above. "I need your help!"

Without a second's hesitation I ran upstairs.

* * *

**TBC**

**Short I know but big thing is happening soon!**

**And check out Emily's bebo the link's on my profile!**

**DO IT NOW!!!**

**")**


	9. Chapter 9: A friend?

It was a sailing boat. A little powder blue sailing boat that for one reason or the other had suddenly decided to tip forwards, what I hope can be described as the 'arse' of the boat sticking straight up in the open air.

That's not strange… oh would you look at all the people.

About five people who were _alive._

Actually alive, as in breathing and…. Shit.

They looked completely terrified, staring at the variously assembled pirates with expressions ranging from 'OMG!' to 'F--king hell don't touch me please!'

I now understood why Will needed my help. Who better to explain to living people about the dead ship on which they were supposed to be dead, than a living person related to the dead captain and living on the dead ship?

My brain hurts now…. How did I think of such a complex thought? Must have more intellectual prowess than I thought I did. Go Super-Emily!

I pushed through the assembled crew to the first person, a girl, who was sat on the deck almost sobbing.

She had a vaguely Asian look, with beautiful long black hair and very stylish clothes. She appeared to be younger than me, at being like a head shorter than me. Like a sort-of miniature teenager. 

"Hi!" I trilled as sunnily as I could. "I'm Emily, your helpful and always cheerful ship's guide! How may I help you?"

She gave a little gulp and smiled. "I'm Isabella Hayton and that's my boat. Thank you for saving me!"

Hmmm… didn't actually do _anything _but appreciation is appreciation. "Oh, it was nothing really…"

"Yes, exactly, nothing for _you_…" Muttered a surly voice behind me. I swung my elbow behind me and was rewarded by a gasp of pain. Ha. HA HA.

"C'mon Isabella, I'll show you round. I want to make this trip as lovely as possible for you before we can get you back!"

* * *

It was decided that we would take Isabella and her crew back to the nearest port, whilst towing the remains of their little ship behind the big ship. The nearest port was Hong Kong and I hadn't realised how far we'd come until I found that out…. Hmm, should think before I speak really.

It wouldn't be long really before I'd be home, a thought which both scared me shitless and made me long for home, good food, my own bed…. Etc. It made me long for Hollyoaks. I mean I've been gone Gawd knows how long, anything could have happened! I mean Jake could have found out that Charlie isn't his and gone all bloody ape-frick…. 

Anyway, I digress. (I'm learning new words every day me! Smart words and all!) 

I had found a bloody fantastic friend in Isabella. She's the same age as me would you believe, and has pretty much the same interests. She's like Chinese and Portuguese and her boat was called _Corazón del océano _which basically means Heart of the Ocean or something like that because she loves Titanic as much as me. Or more really! Her father is like super-rich which is why she had her own mini-yacht.

It is lovely to have a gal pal again. I've spent so long around _men _and their _habits _and their _smells _and their _jokes _and their _manners _that I did fear I would never be able to be accepted into proper social conversation.

('Hey Emily what's up?' 'Oh um hi huh-huh-huh you have like really big boobs huh-huh-huh blerup!' 

Yeah…. Don't think so matey.)

And 

I've even stopped paying any real attention to Will. I'm telling you, having a friend is the best remedy for creepy-unrequainted-love.

Instead of moping around the place after Will, I was giggling with Isabella over normal things instead of boringly-historical-seaside-salty-stuff. Things like boys and celebrities and OH! Fully caught up on goss now! Would you believe what happened to Britney? And Amy Winehouse? Heavy….

We'd be giggling in the corner and Will would just walk past and just giv us a look. A look of complete and utter bewilderment. Then Isabella would tell him to go away and watch his retreating back with disgust.

"He's like totally creepy. Why are you on this ship with all these weirdo historical re-creators?" 

I hadn't bothered to delve into the whole dark and murky subject of this ship and the crew, and left Isabella to conclude her own opinions. I really don't want her to leap off the side of the ship in shock.

"It's my mother's uncle's brother's uncle's son. Just staying here for a couple of weeks with him."

Her lips would move silently as she tried to work this out for herself. She'd shrug and talk about something else, leaving me mentally going Phe-uw! and wiping my forehead in relief. 

* * *

It took a few days to get within sight of Hong Kong and I was in tears on the morning of their departure. They were taking one of the rowing boats to the harbour, then catching a taxi to Isabella's mansion home.

It was just us; Will was busy and frankly our crew would be glad to see her gone. (Us two together big nuisances. As in running around the deck laughing our heads off, getting in everyone's way… fun. Serious fun.) 

"I'm really gonna miss you." I choked. "It's no fun being the only girl."

"Come with me then!" Isabella gave a wide smile. "C'mon we'll get you back before nightfall! He can hardly complain, it's not like you'll be with strangers…."

* * *

I got into the boat.

I sat on the seat and smiled at the four scowling men.

Then everything went black.

* * *

I woke up on a cold, damp floor. The room was dark, pitch black and it smelt of mouldy wood and damp. I got up unsteadily, fingers feeling a small, thickly clotted lump on the back of my head. The familiar sound of water was all around, so my muggy brain reasoned I must be on another boat.

Suddenly, it pitched, sending me flying to the floor. I landed face first on the cold, hard floor in some smelly liquid.

I found I had no more strength to pick myself up again. I gathered what strength I had left and curled into a ball on the floor.

"There was a boy… a very strange enchanting boy…" I sang softly to myself, trying to distract myself from the gloom that covered me.

I began to pray that Will would find me.

* * *

**A/N: Please feel free to hurt me in various ways.**

**I have been cruel and neglected you, my lovely readers.**

**But at least I updated at last, yeah? (Ducks to avoid various missiles thrown at my head.)**

**And I got like almost 7000 story hits... (Recieves stony glares)**

**I am truly sorry for leaving this so long. I got distracted and simply moved on from this fic. And I have to say it was not easy getting back into Emily Turner's head. **

**So please don't kill me in your reiviews if you think I deserve any...**


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